SEGMENT 23 of the musical"CANDELESCENCE" (written by Secretary Michael); illustration by Jennifer Stolzer); click to find musical scores: "Come Sing With Us"(SATB), "Audience Sing-Along" (vocal score), and "Audience Sing-Along" (piano score);

Segment 23: Happy Ending

(Everybody in the production, including the musicians and technicians, assemble onstage, face the audience, outstretch a hand and sing to the audience in 4-part harmony without accompaniment)

ALL (EXCEPT AUDIENCE)
(singing acappella with an outstretched hand)
COME SING WITH US
COME SING WITH US
LET’S WORK TO BUILD A WORLD HARMONIOUS
COME SING WITH US
COME SING WITH US, AND

JOIN US IN THIS OPERA OF LIFE
JOIN US IN THIS OPERA OF LIFE
JOIN US IN THIS OPERA OF LIFE
COME SING WITH US

(music begins; the words to the songs are projected so that the audience can sing along; to create a “sing-along” atmosphere, the cast might want to go down with the audience to sing)

ALL (INCLUDING AUDIENCE)
(singing “The Sun”)
THE SUN, LET IT SHINE, LET IT SHINE ON EV’RYONE.
THE SUN, LET IT SHINE, LET IT SHINE ON EV’RYONE
SO ALL OF US CAN DREAM OF FIELDS AND FIELDS OF GREEN.
THE SUN, LET IT SHINE, LET IT SHINE ON EV’RYONE.

ALL (INCLUDING AUDIENCE)
(singing “And the Big Wheel Spun”)
AND THE BIG WHEEL SPUN (BIG WHEEL SPUN)
DIFF’RENT PEOPLE WE BECOME
AND THE BIG WHEEL SPUN (BIG WHEEL SPUN)
WINNERS, LOSERS EV’RYONE

AND THOSE OF US WHO KNOW THE WHEEL, WE KNOW WHAT MUST BE DONE
MUST HELP OUR FELLOW LOSERS WITH THE WINNINGS WE HAVE WON
MUST NOT LET PEOPLE SUFFER FOR THE THINGS THAT LUCK HAS DONE
WHAT’S DONE IS DONE (WHAT’S DONE IS DONE)
CUZ THE BIG WHEEL SPUN (CUZ THE BIG WHEEL SPUN)

ALL (INCLUDING AUDIENCE)
(singing “The World is Our Family”)
BORDERS, BOUND’RIES, WALLS AND FENCES
ONE BY ONE THEY DISAPPEAR
ALL OUR SO-CALLED DIFFERENCES
THESE ARE THINGS WE DO NOT FEAR

DON’T TALK ABOUT HONOR, DON’T TALK ABOUT PRIDE
DON’T START WAVING FLAGS, WE WON’T PICK A SIDE
DON’T THREATEN WITH SPIRITS BELOW OR ABOVE
WE’RE PROTECTED BY SCIENCE - PROTECTED BY LOVE

THE WORLD IS OUR FAMILY, WE’RE NOT AFRAID!
THE WORLD IS OUR FAMILY, WE’RE NOT AFRAID!
THE WORLD IS OUR FAMILY, WE’RE NOT AFRAID!
THE WORLD IS OUR FAMILY, WE’RE NOT AFRAID!

DON’T TALK ABOUT TREASON, THE WORD IS A LIE
WE’RE NOT “THEM AND US” WE’RE JUST “YOU AND I”.
IN LOVING THE WORLD WE’RE NOT LEAVING YOU
WE HOLD OUT OUR HANDS - WE WANT YOU TO COME TOO!

THE WORLD IS OUR FAMILY, WE’RE NOT AFRAID!
THE WORLD IS OUR FAMILY, WE’RE NOT AFRAID!
THE WORLD IS OUR FAMILY, WE’RE NOT AFRAID!
THE WORLD IS OUR FAMILY, WE’RE NOT AFRAID!

WALLS AND FENCES, DIFFERENCES, WE ARE NOT AFRAID!

END OF SEGMENT 23

END OF OPERA